Grief
by PhantomPenguin
Summary: Everybody grieves, and Paton Yewbeam is no exception. A glimpse into the past after the death of Paton's mother.


**Disclaimer: I own nothing that could even potentially be associated with Charlie Bone.**

So, I've discovered that spring break is an excellent time to breed plot bunnies =D For those of you who read Illuminations and are wondering why I didn't post this with it, there are two very simple explanations: I'm a review whore, and I want more people to read this. Illuminations has something of a following now, so I wanted to post this separately so that those who don't read Illuminations might find it (in short, it all kind of ties into me loving feedback...)

*grins*

So, please enjoy, and don't hesitate to review!

* * *

The boy stood in the frigid sea, the waves pounding into his slim frame with driving force. A cool breeze danced around the beach, causing his thick, black hair to whip around his face. He shook it out of his way and stared into the distance, eyes hard.

The waves came with increasing force but he made no effort to avoid them, instead wading further into the breakers. Now the crushing water was up to his chest, the crashing waves sending icy jets of water blasting into his face.

Flinching, he squinted, shielding his eyes from the worst of the salty spray.

Thoughts rose, unbidden, in his mind, and tears formed in his eyes, falling down his cheeks to mix with the salty water that was already gathered there. The waves continued to come, pounding into his shivering form, each swell bringing with it a different memory, driving them into his thoughts with unwavering force.

_CRASH_

His sisters' faces leered down at him, ill-concealed greed shining in their eyes—it was the day they had learned of his endowment.

_CRASH_

Yolanda peered into his face, her horrific visage twisted into a look of utmost delight—the day she, too, had learned of his endowment.

_CRASH_

His parents were sitting side-by-side, their hands intertwined. They smiled, laughing off Yolanda's insistence that he remain with her at Yewbeam castle. When they thought it was safe, when they thought he had looked away, they exchanged nervous glances.

_CRASH_

His mother lay broken and twisted at the bottom of the stairs; his sisters and Yolanda exchanged triumphant smiles.

"No!"

The tortured cry was torn from his lips against his will. Furiously, he waded further into the churning sea until he was finally struck down by an errant wave, sucked under the water. He struggled against the current, inhaling copious amounts of seawater. His feet scrabbled for a hold on the sandy bottom as he fought the undertow.

The current deposited him on the beach and he retched, ridding his lungs of all of the water that he had inhaled. Slowly, he sat up, gasping for air. His head reeled, and he sat on the beach for a minute, regaining his senses.

Head still spinning, dripping water, he staggered to his feet and waded back into the water, defiantly facing the oncoming waves. He rubbed salt of his eyes with a trembling fist, his sopping hair clinging to his forehead in wide, black bands. His jaw was set as he squared his shoulders, facing the waves with eyes that were full of far too much pain for a boy his age.

"Paton?"

His father was calling him.

Paton tilted his head slightly but made no move to leave the water.

"Oh my—Paton!" James ran to the waterline. "Come on, son, it's freezing out here!" He knelt, holding out his arms encouragingly.

Against his will, Paton shivered violently, water streaming from his clothes and body. Still, he remained in the water.

"They killed her, Dad," he said, voice cracking. "They killed her, and they don't care."

Tears flowed freely down his face.

"How-how could they do that?" he asked, his voice wracked with sobs. "They're her _daughters_! Her own daughters let that…that _fiend _kill her! I saw them. Grizelda, Lucretia, Eustacia, Venetia," his eyes hardened, "Yolanda. She…she was laying at the bottom of the stairs, broken, and they just smiled."

"They smiled!" he roared suddenly. "Those conniving, backstabbing, heartless, gormless, two-faced sisters of mine just stood there and smiled! They didn't even pretend to be upset!"

James let his son rant, watching him with sad eyes. "I know, Paton," he sighed, "I know. Now, come out of the water."

Paton turned, looking at his father with a haunted look in his young eyes. Slowly, he staggered forward, water sheeting from his trembling form. He stumbled, tripping over a stray rock, and James was there, enveloping him in a warm hug.

"It will be okay, son. Somehow, it will be okay."

Paton shook, burying his head in his father's shoulder; if James noticed his shirt grow damp, he said nothing, only holding Paton tighter.

For all his intelligence and maturity, Paton was still a young boy.

"I hate them." Paton's voice was quiet. "I hate them."

James looked at his son with tired eyes. "Don't hate them, Paton. Whatever you do, don't hate them."

"Hush, son," James said, holding up a hand to forestall any protests as Paton opened his mouth to object. "In this, I'm both older and wiser than you are. Hate is a serious emotion, and to me, at least, it brings to mind a dislike strong enough to kill."

Paton flinched.

James, seemingly ignoring this, continued, "Would you—could you—kill your sisters?"

Mutely, Paton shook his head.

James nodded. "I thought not."

They sat in silence for a minute, Paton in silent contemplation, James distressed for his son.

Paton was the one to break the silence. "Yolanda," he croaked. His hands balled into fists, and James could feel his muscles tense. "I hate Yolanda."

"I hate her," he repeated, with conviction. He had never been surer about anything in his short life. "I hate her," he whispered, tears streaming silently down his face. "I shouldn't, but I do."

James lowered his face so that it was level with Paton's. He reached up and wiped his son's face, clearing away the tears that were forming in his red eyes. "I understand," he said simply.

It was all that had to be said.

* * *

This is certainly a much more angstier Paton than I usually write...it certainly was fun, though! I was at the coast for all of break, so that's more than likely where the inspiration for this came from. For those of you who read Illuminations, expect an update in the somewhat-near future. For those of you who don't...go check it out =D

I love reviews, and criticism is always welcome!


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